Forever and Always
by Reanni
Summary: An Espeon says goodbye to the one person she she ever loved. (Not romance, though it was written while listening to My Heart Will Go On.)


Disclaimer: I don't Pokemon, but I do own Keia and Mike. Darkelf is using them cause I said she could. I made up Keia's backround and I decided I'd do it in a bit more detail so it makes sense. Anyway, here it it:  
  
  
  
  
Forever and Always  
  
  
Keia gazed sadly at the starry night. 'Master, I miss you!' She called silently. 'Please hear me! I remember you everyday. And miss you. I miss you so much' The Espeon sighed and closed her eyes to remember her trainer. He was so much more than just a master, he had been her trainer, protector, teacher, and…friend. The best friend she had ever had and now he was gone, never to return. Looking down at the gravestone marked Michael John Phillips: 1986-2001 she swallowed hard. It was all she could do to keep from crying as she clearly recalled the day they had met…  
  
  
  
"An Eevee!" The excited boy shouted happily. At first he had scared her, he was too big and noisy and this was a strange place besides. But then he smiled at her and she immediately knew they would be friends.  
"Eev? Vee?" She looked at him curiously and cocked her head making him laugh.  
"How 'bout I call you Keia?" He asked scratching her behind the ears.  
"Vee!" Keia had squealed excitedly.  
"I'll take that as a yes." Mike laughed, picking her up and ruffling her fur playfully. "Come on, let's go show you off."  
  
  
  
It seemed so long ago that he had laughed at her playful antics and she had seen his determined look as they started an important battle. He told her quietly that she was his best friend over and over, and now it seemed like a long forgotten dream, something wonderful that had happened but only a wisp of a memory remained. But it had only been a month since he had told her for the last time that she would be his best friend forever and always…  
  
  
  
"Keia, tackle!" Mike called. There was one against one now, the battle was almost decided. Keia was tired but she knew the Zephyr badge was close, closer than it had ever been and Mike was counting on her. That made it worth it. Besides, the gym leader's Pidgyotto was tiring fast and she might be able to finish it with one good hit.  
"Eev VEEEE!" She screamed, jumping as high as she could into the air and tackling the bird. It gave a pained cry and fell to the ground, fainted. They had won!  
"All right!" Keia's trainer cried opening his arms to her as she ran to him. "Keia, we did it! We got our first badge!"  
  
  
  
  
WE. With Mike it had never been *I*, it was always WE did it. Together they could take on the world and win. Together even if they lost a mere battle they still had each other and simply worked harder for the next time, winning something far more than a battle. Their friendship grew stronger each day and the stronger it grew the better they worked together. Of course changes happened but it never made any difference to their friendship.  
  
  
  
"Scy THER!" Bugsy's Scyther screamed, slashing at Keia and knocking her head over heel into a nearby wall.  
"Keia!" Mike yelled, going pale when she didn't move. "Keia, are you okay? Please, please be okay! I need you! We're buddies, remember?"  
"Eev…" Keia climbed shakily to her feet.  
"No, you're not fighting anymore. You're hurt too bad. We're forfeiting the match." He tried to pick her up and carry her but the little Eevee scrambled out of his grasp determinedly. "What are you…?"  
"Vee eev!" She looked back at him, knowing something was going to happen soon. Something… A tingle spread over her and suddenly she began to glow strangely.  
"Keia, what's happening?" Mike stared at her, not sure what was going on.  
"Espeon." Keia replied waving her split tail happily.  
"Espeon? You…evolved!" Her trainer grinned. "Keia, you EVOLVED!"  
"Essspeeeon." She turned to face the gym leader's Scyther with fresh confidence.  
'Let's whoop this guy!' Keia commented mentally. Now Mike was REALLY surprised but he kept his head and ordered an attack.  
"All right Keia, let's try psychic!" He called.  
'You got it!' Eyes glowing Keia used her new power to control Scyther's movements, forcing the battle to end. Afterward Mike gawked at her, shocked at her new appearance and looking as if she might fade away at any moment.  
"Wow." He muttered quietly.  
'It's still me Master. Keia laughed slightly and put her front paws on his shoulders. It's just me with a whole new look.'  
"You're incredible Keia." Mike scratched her behind the ears smiling. "You're the best in the world. But give me a little time to adjust, will ya?"  
'No prob Master.'  
And stop calling me 'Master' already! My name is Mike!"  
  
  
  
Things were perfect. But when things are perfect something bad always has to happen to balance it out. Keia now realized this truth for she had learned it the hard way. At first she had thought nothing could stop her and her master from achieving their goal. Mike would go on to beat the Elite Four and become he new champion and Keia would be at his side. Fate on the other hand had a different idea…  
  
  
  
"Shoo! Go on, scat!" Mike's mom tried to chase her away form Mike's room.   
Never! Keia thought furiously. 'Mike, hold on! I'm coming!'  
"Get out of here! Now!"  
'I don't this Mrs. Mike's mom. But I can't leave him there all alone. We're buddies.' She thought to the woman in front of her blocking the way to her best friend. Using her psychic attack she controlled Mike's mother enough to make her move away form the doorway to Mike's room and then slipped quickly inside.  
"Keia? Is that you?" Mike's hoarse whisper could be heard in the dark room.  
'It's me! What's wrong, why wont' they let you go?'  
"Keia, I'm sick." The boy was suddenly shaken by a coughing fit and couldn't talk. Keia jumped lightly onto his bed.  
'But you'll be better soon, right? Remember when I got sick? Thinks to you I was up again in just a few days!'  
"I'm sorry buddy, it's not the same." He replied before another spasm tore through him, worse than the last.  
' Not the same? How?'  
Mike drew a rattley breath and bit his lip, thinking hard. Finally he looked up at her, his green eyes shining with unshed tears. "Keia, I'm dying."  
  
  
  
From then on life was never the same. A few days later Keia's master died. She sat with him the entire time and was there when they found him the next morning. All of Mike's things were split up and sent to different family members. Keia was given to Mike's nine-year-old cousin. He wanted her to battle hard having heard she was Mike's favorite, but though she tried to please her new master her heart wasn't in it. Before long she had run away and now…now she was here saying a final goodbye to the one person who she had truly loved. Now was time to move on. He would have wanted her to.  
'Goodbye Mike. I'll fine someplace to belong, for you. I'll be fine. Please don't forget me, I'll never forget you as long as I live. We're buddies, remember? Forever and always…'  



End file.
